Little Dhampir's Sister
by QueenKaterina
Summary: I didn't expect to meet him- Adrian Ivashkov. And I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with him. - Talia Mazur is the little sister to Rose Hathaway. When Talia comes to Court with her father, she meets Adrian , a Moroi she feels instantly attracted to. Sparks fly, and soon Adrian can't get enough of her.
1. Chapter 1

"Dad, I don't care if she's my sister. She's a royal Guardian." I stopped where I stood. If my dad wasn't going to listen, I'd make him. We were here at Court, on our way to see my sister, Rose Hathaway.

"Talia, come on." Abe growled.

"I'll be here when you and Rose come find me." I sat down on a bench, crossing my arms.

"Mr. Mazur." A Russian accent tickled my ears.

"Guardian Belikov. Talia, come meet a friend of mine." My father ushered.

I turned my head and saw a gorgeous man- shoulder length dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and smooth skin. He was perfection incarnate.

"You must be Talia Mazur. I've never met a dhampir who took their Moroi parent's name." Guardian Belikov smiled.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage. You know my first name, and I haven't a clue as to what yours is." I smiled back, standing.

"I'll see you inside, Talia." My father walked away.

"My name is Dimitri Belikov. I am the guardian of Lord Ozera." Dimitri said.

"And I don't have a charge. Wow, I feel insignificant." I mused, walking alongside Dimitri.

"I'm sure you are more than capable of defending a Moroi." He turned his head and that's when I saw it- seven _molnija_ marks surrounding the promise mark. I touched my own neck, which Dimitri noticed.

"Noticing my marks?" He grinned.

"Yeah. You have me by two." I lifted my shoulder length curls, revealing my own promise mark and five _molnijas_.

"Impressive." Dimitri nodded. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen." I answered, rolling my shoulders.

"Hey, Belikov!" A Moroi with emerald green eyes and brown tousled hair stood in front of us. "Does Hathaway know you're with some other hot woman?"

"Who are you?" I snapped.

"I'm Adrian Ivashkov. You must be Hathaway's sister. Belikov, I must say, doing both would be any man's dream that you're lucky enough to-"

"Listen, Adrian, Dimitri and I aren't sleeping together. I guess it's safe to assume that my sister is the only woman he's sleeping with." I snapped.

"You're a wild one. I like that. Guardian Belikov, would you be as kind as to allow me to show Miss Hathaway around?" Adrian grinned.

"It's Mazur, not Hathaway. I took my dad's name." I told Adrian.

"I'll be near." Dimitri whispered before walking away.

Adrian took my hand and I tensed. "Relax. I wasn't serious about you sleeping with Belikov." Adrian teased.

"I've never met him. How could you just assume that because my sister is a slut that I am one too?" I asked angrily.

"Keep your voice down. I know for a fact that Rose isn't a slut, she's only ever slept with Belikov." Adrian said, taking both of my hands in his.

"Adrian!" A voice yelled.

We turned to see my sister in all her Guardian glory. Her dark hair was braided to the side and her _molnija_ marks were visible. Her dark eyes flashed, and I remembered that Adrian still had hold on both of my hands.

"Get the hell away from my sister." Rose snapped.

"I don't need you! Can't you see that I'm doing fine on my own?" I yelled.

"Sorry, Talia, I don't remember speaking to you. I was talking to Adrian." Rose stepped closer to us.

"Anything you say to him, you're saying to me." I stepped in front of Adrian, dropping his hands.

"Brave move, little sister." Rose grinned suddenly, pulling me into a hug.

"It's great to see you, Rose." I smiled widely, hugging her back.

"I'm going." Adrian touched my back.

"No. Stay with me." I begged.

"Fine." Adrian grinned down at me, taking my hand and pulling me away from my sister.

"Uh-uh. Ivashkov, you are not dating my sister." Rose shook her head.

"I never said I was going to _date_ her." Adrian smiled, touching my nose with his finger.

"I am not sleeping with you when I just met you." I said. "I at least have to go on a date with you first."

"You want a date? I'll take you out on the best date ever. I'll surprise you with flowers and poems and chocolate. I'll buy you presents for no reason, and you'll sleep with me because you love me." Adrian grinned.

"You do know the way to a girl's heart." Rose laughed. "I'll see you two at the party tonight." My sister squeezed my hand before walking away.

"Party?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's something Lissa does once a month. She throws a party with Moroi and Guardians her age, just to stay connected to her youth. She has a huge wing cleared out just for her parties, and they're insane. Will you be my date?" Adrian asked, grinning like a little boy who had just been told his parents would buy him everything he wanted.

"Sure. But this doesn't count as our date. I want all that other stuff- flowers, poems, chocolate." I grinned.

"Done. Oh, and, Miss Mazur?" Adrian asked as he walked of.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"I'll meet you here at six. Later, baby." Adrian winked before turning.

I walked back to my room that I had previously stayed in, only to find Dimitri lounging against the doorframe.

"I hope Adrian didn't flirt too much. I am sorry he assumed I was sleeping with you." Dimitri said as he followed me into my room, shutting the door behind him.

"I take what he said as a compliment. Though I myself don't fool around with other dhampirs." I said, sitting on my bed.

"Oh." Dimitri's tone was shocked.

"I'm not a blood whore." I bit my lip.

"I didn't say you were. Look, Talia, Adrian Ivashkov only wants you for sex. You must know that. He nearly bedded your sister, don't let him bed you too." Dimitri begged.

"Why not? Moroi men love dhampirs like me. And Adrian is… unique. He understands heartbreak. I don't think he wants me just for sex." I defended the Moroi.

"Just please be careful, Talia." Dimitri said.

"I'll try. Are you going to Vasilisa's party?" I asked.

"Yes. Rose demands that I go to them." Dimitri smiled at the mention of my sister.

"You love her, don't you?" I smiled.

"I do. She is my future." Dimitri glanced at me. "Promise me you will save yourself for someone you love."

"Too late for that." I said.

"Who was it with?" Dimitri asked.

"A guy named Nikolai. I met him when my dad and I were in your hometown, actually. He was my first." I bit my lip, drawing blood.

"Hey, it's okay. Talia, it's okay." Dimitri wiped the blood away.

"Thank you. For the advice." I said, standing suddenly. "You should go. The party starts soon."

"I'll see you later, Talia." Dimitri smiled before he left my room.

I walked into the closet and searched through my clothes. Finding nothing, I collapsed on the bed.

There was a knock on my door, and when I finally got up to answer, all that was there was a box with a note.

_Talia- _

_Please wear this tonight. I look forward to our non-date and to the one I hope to have tomorrow._

_AI_

I opened the box and pulled out a black number with sleeves and no back that fell to my mid-thigh. I changed into the dress and stepped into a pair of heels. Not many guardians can fight in heels, but I can.

At approximately five forty-five, I exited my room. I walked back to where Adrian told me to meet him, and I found him waiting in a black T-shirt and tight black jeans.

"You look gorgeous, Talia." Adrian licked his lips.

"It's a bit short." I said.

"It's perfect." Adrian tossed an arm over my shoulder.

As we walked through Court, many Moroi and dhampirs stared and pointed. I was used to the stares- when Nikolai and I dated briefly, everyone stared and whispered.

"Have you dated a Moroi before?" Adrian asked.

"What gave you that idea?" I replied.

"You don't seem daunted by the stares." Adrian pointed out.

"If you must know, I prefer Moroi to dhampirs. Something about you Moroi is better than my own kind." I said.

"Like how Moroi men are attracted to dhampir women?" Adrian smirked.

"Something like that." I laughed.

"We're here." We stopped in front of a section of the Court obviously only used for parties. Music boomed through the hall, lights and vampires filling the rooms.

"Adrian! You brought a date." A man I knew all too well stood in front of us.

"Jaylin." I growled, "It's not great to see you."

"Oh, you brought a blood whore. Care to share?" Jaylin Badica grinned.

That's when I honestly lost my self-control for the first time since eighth grade- I punched Jaylin right in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa. Listen, Talia, I didn't mean anything by that 'blood whore' comment. I was just messing with you!" Jaylin exclaimed, wiping his face with his sleeve.

Adrian and I shoved past him and I rubbed my hand.

"Here." Adrian took my hand and I felt a tingling sensation run through my body.

Letting go, I felt better. "Did you heal me?" I asked.

"Lissa's waiting." Adrian pulled me into a room.

"Tali!" Rose exclaimed, dressed in red.

"Hey, Rose. Your sister just punched Jaylin Badica in the face." Adrian grinned, wrapping his arm back around my shoulders. "It was awesome."

"Why did you punch Jaylin? Not that I'm complaining." The Moroi Queen, Vasilisa Dragomir, stopped next to Rose, Christian Ozera by her side.

"Your Highness." I nodded my head respectfully.

"Oh, please. Call me Lissa." The Queen smiled.

"Very well, Lissa. I punched Jaylin because he called me a blood whore." I winced.

"Adrian." Lissa said.

"Cousin, he did. I had half the mind to punch him myself, but she beat me to it." Adrian grinned. "That was flawless, Talia."

"I learned from the best." I smiled at Dimitri, who hugged my sister.

"You learned from Belikov?" Adrian asked.

"No. We trained at the same academy in Russia." I laughed. "He was the best of his class and I was the best of mine."

"Well, Talia, I hope you enjoy the party. Christian, let's dance." The Moroi Queen pulled her boyfriend out to dance.

"Rose?" Dimitri asked, nodding to the dance floor.

"Oh, Comrade, you know me so well." Rose grinned, following Dimitri.

Adrian and I chose to dance as well, and I have to admit, the boy had moves. After about an hour of non-stop dancing, Adrian and I found ourselves next to a drink table. Grabbing two cups, Adrian handed me one.

"I want to go, Adrian." I said.

"Why?" He pouted.

"I'm tired. I flew in from Rome earlier." I began to walk, but my legs gave out.

In an instant, mine and Adrian's drinks were on the table and I was in Adrian's arms. "Did you eat supper?" Adrian asked.

"No." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"We're going to get you something."

Something turned out to be a cheeseburger with a chocolate milkshake. Adrian stole fries from my plate as I scarfed down my burger, not caring what he thought. When I was done, I said, "This does not count as a date, Ivashkov."

"How about I pick you up from your room for breakfast?" Adrian smiled.

"What time?" I asked.

"Whenever. It's about nine-thirty am now, so how about at eight?" Adrian glanced at his Michael Kors watch.

"Sounds great. I'm going to shower and sleep." I stood and he stood with me.

"I'll walk you back to your room." Adrian said.

We walked through Court, holding hands. A Moroi walked up to us, smiling. "Hey, Guardian Mazur. Lord Ivashkov, your father is looking for you."

"Thanks." Adrian snapped.

"Why does your dad need you?" I asked as we changed directions.

"We'll find out." Adrian growled.

"Oh, no. I am not going to meet your father in this dress." I stopped.

"Please, Talia?" Adrian turned his beautiful eyes on me and I felt helpless. We walked to his father's house and he knocked on the door.

"Adrian!" A man that looked like an older version of Adrian glared at him.

"Father." Adrian nodded, sitting on the couch and pulling me down with him.

"Who is she?" Lord Ivashkov asked.

"My name is-" I began, but Adrian cut me off.

"She's Guardian Mazur. Rose's sister."

"Mazur? I once had a drink with a man by that name. Most interesting Moroi I've ever met." Lord Ivashkov smirked.

"What did you need, Dad?" Adrian snapped.

"I need you to find Guardian Belikov and give him a letter."

"I don't run in the same circle as Belikov." Adrian growled.

"I can give him your letter, my Lord. I know Dimitri." I offered.

"Thank you, Guardian Mazur. Tell your father hello. And if you're looking for a charge, I'm sure my son would love a guardian." Lord Ivashkov winked.

"I'll keep that in mind, my Lord." I blushed.

"Call me Nathan." Nathan handed me an envelope addressed to Dimitri.

"Yes, sir. Please call me Talia." I smiled, walking out with Adrian.

"He wants you to be my guardian." Adrian stated.

"I could see that. He made it seem like he wanted me as your guardian. And he knows Dad, so that can't be good." I smirked.

"Talia Catalina Mazur!" My father yelled. "It's late. You should be in your room!"

"Dad, it's only ten. And I'm nineteen!" I exclaimed.

"You. Adrian. Leave." Dad growled.

"He's not going anywhere. Nathan Ivashkov said to tell you hello. Now, if you don't mind, Adrian is walking me back to my room. Then I'll go to sleep." I shoved past my father, pulling Adrian with me.

"Beautiful name, by the way. Talia Catalina." Adrian smiled.

"You think so?" I asked.

"Definitely." Adrian smiled wider, walking me back to my room.

"How did you know where my room is?" I asked as we walked inside.

"Belikov told me." Adrian grimaced. "I sort of had to beg him."

"Goodnight, Adrian." I hugged him.

Adrian tilted my head up and kissed me. I pulled away and hugged him again. "Thank you for everything, Adrian. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Tali." Adrian kissed my cheek and left my room.

I showered quickly and changed into a T-shirt and shorts. I washed my face and towel-dried my hair. At eleven, I was lying in bed and thinking about what Adrian said.

_'He wants you to be my guardian.'_ And there was the part he left unspoken, '_And so do I.'_


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, at eight Adrian showed up at my door. I wore black leather tights and a black tank top with black combat boots. Adrian had on a green silk shirt that matched his eyes and faded denim jeans over black tennis shoes.

"Shall we?" Adrian held out a hand.

"We shall, Mr. Ivashkov." I giggled, taking his hand in mine.

We walked to the same restaurant as the night before and took seats in a booth.

"Lord Ivashkov, Guardian Mazur. What can I get for you?" A dhampir asked.

"I'd like a large glass of chocolate milk." I ordered.

"I'll have the same." Adrian smiled. "So, chocolate milk, eh? I didn't strike you as a chocolate kind of girl."

"I'm full of surprises." I flirted, tossing my hair.

"Are you ready to order?" The dhampir handed us our drinks.

"I'll have _chocolate_ chip pancakes with a side of bacon." I said, smiling at Adrian.

"I'll have the same." Adrian repeated.

"Coming right up." The dhampir walked to the kitchen.

"So, does this count as a date, Talia?" Adrian asked, twirling the straw of his chocolate milk.

"I don't know. It might." I winked, sipping my drink.

"So if I kiss you when we leave, you won't object?" Adrian smirked. "Because I didn't appreciate you pulling away yesterday. I always keep condoms with me now, just in case."

"Okay, gross. I hope I'm not the reason." I made a face.

"No. You're not the reason. You're related to the reason." Adrian grinned, laughing.

"Ew, that's even worse! You slept with my sister?" I asked.

"No. We almost did, but I didn't have any protection. I'm glad I actually didn't sleep with Rose though. Belikov would have been pissed." Adrian shook his head.

"I'm glad I met you, Adrian. If you would take me as your guardian, I'd be honored." I smiled as the dhampir slid our breakfast in front of us.

"Talia, do you really mean that?" Adrian asked.

"I've never meant anything so much as I do this." I bit my lip.

"If you're willing, then yes. I want you as my guardian. We'll go to your father after we eat and ask if you can stay with me." Adrian smiled.

"I am an adult, Adrian. He can't tell me what to do." I smiled.

"Fair enough." Adrian laughed.

We ate in comfortable silence, before Adrian paid the bill.

"Adrian, you don't have to-"

"Yes I do. Let's go talk to your old man." Adrian pulled me up and led me out. "Where is he staying?"

"This way." I took Adrian and led him to my father's room. Knocking on the door, I bit my lip.

"What?" Abe asked.

"Dad, we need to talk." I could hear the nervousness in my voice.

"Come in." Abe opened the door for Adrian and me. We slipped past him and sat on the couch.

"Dad, Adrian asked if I would be his guardian. I accepted." I bit my lip.

"Talia, do you really want to be his guardian? No offense, Adrian, but I've already seen you hurt one of my daughters. I don't want to lose the other." Abe growled.

"Dad, don't touch him. I know exactly what I want. I want to protect Adrian from Strigoi. I want to travel with him. I want to be his guardian." I said.

"Very well, Talia. If that's what you want. I will return to Russia within the day. Goodbye, my daughter." Abe kissed my head and Adrian took my hand.

"Goodbye, Mr. Mazur." Adrian shook my dad's hand and led me out.

"Goodbye, Daddy." I sobbed into Adrian's shoulder.

"Tali!" Rose exclaimed.

"Hey, Rose." I lifted my head, wiping my face.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at me directly. "Why are you crying? Adrian, what's going on?"

"She told Abe she wanted to be my guardian. He told her he's leaving today to go home." Adrian flipped his hair, rubbing my hand.

"Talia, is this true?" Rose asked.

"Yes. He's leaving me. I never thought he'd leave me." I said.

"Talia, I would say that I know how you feel, but I don't. Abe ran out on my mom when I was a baby. My mom left me to be raised by my school when I was four. I've never had my parents, let alone one. If I could, I'd switch places with you in a heartbeat. Or maybe I wouldn't, because then Lissa and I wouldn't be where we are. But you got to see the world, Talia. You lived with our Moroi father. Talia, you have Adrian! He's the perfect Moroi every dhampir woman wants to find. And _you _have him, Talia." Rose grabbed my hands, squeezing so tight they hurt.

"Rose!" I exclaimed.

"Guardian Hathaway!" A dhampir slid to a stop next to us. "Court is under attack!"

Rose and I immediately snapped into Guardian mode. I slid a silver stake into my hand, taking Adrian's hand in my free one.  
"Go to Lissa! I'll get Adrian to safety!" I told my sister, running as fast as I could with the Moroi beside me.

We ran into a secure room. I locked the doors behind us and sat next to Adrian on the couch.

"I want you to stay here. I'm going to see if anyone needs help. Don't answer the door until I knock. I'll knock three times, pause, and then knock four more times. Got it?" I asked, adrenaline pumping in my blood.

"Talia. Good luck." Adrian kissed my forehead.

I exited the room, hearing it lock behind me. I ran toward the center of Court, anxiety spilling from my pores. Rose stood over the body of a Strigoi, her stake poised to kill, when another appeared behind her.

"Rose!" I yelled, diving in and driving my stake into the Strigoi's chest. I watched as it died and heard my sister stab the one beneath her.

"Thanks." She nodded, wiping off her stake.

"You're welcome. Is the Queen safe?" I asked as we ran.

"She's in her safe room, along with Christian and a few others. All houses and apartments are on lockdown. Every guardian we have is out looking for Strigoi. We have no clue as to how they got in, but we can't let them near Lissa." Rose tossed her head, looking every bit the legend she was.

"Rose, I left Adrian in a room. He's locked in, but what if he gets hurt anyway?" I bit my lip.

"Listen, Talia, he's your Moroi. You must help me find these Strigoi and take them down." Rose turned to me and embraced me quickly. "I love you, Talia."

"I love you too, Rose." I said.

"Roza!" Dimitri exclaimed.

"Dimitri!" Rose yelled.

Her boyfriend was a definite badass. He was battling two Strigoi and he had not one scratch on him. Four more appeared behind the two he fought, two guardians pursuing them. Together, the five of us destroyed the Strigoi.

"We'll all need a _zvezda _after this. Right, Comrade?" Rose joked, punching Dimitri in the arm.

"As I recall, you have one already." Dimitri smiled softly.

"And you never got yours." Rose pouted.

"I'm going to check on Adrian." I ran back to the room, knocked three times, waited, and then knocked four more times.

"Talia." Adrian pulled me into the room, locking it behind me.

"Adrian, listen. I need you to come with me. We're going to get you to Lissa and the others. But you have to be quick and silent and do everything I say if you want to live. I mean it, Adrian, no distractions." I warned, grabbing his arm.

"Okay." Adrian nodded, fear shining in his beautiful eyes.

I opened the door and we ran for it. We ran past my sister and Dimitri battling Strigoi, past scared Moroi faces staring at us through apartment windows, through Court and to the room where Rose said Lissa was.

"Lissa!" I banged on the door.

"Cousin, let us in!" Adrian yelled.

"Talia." A voice hissed.

I spun, placing Adrian against the door so I was blocking him from the Strigoi in front of us.

"How do you know me?" I yelled.

"You broke my heart, Talia Mazur. She'll break yours too, Ivashkov. Better to ditch her than keep her." The Strigoi hissed.

"Nikolai." I growled.

"Right you are, darling." Nikolai smiled.

I drove my stake into his heart without blinking. He crumbled to the ground and I pulled my stake out when his body turned to dust.

"Get inside, Adrian." I hissed, hearing the door open.

"Be careful, Talia Catalina." Adrian whispered.

"Just go!" I exclaimed.

And just like that, I was alone, facing a Strigoi. I swiped at the monster, but she was too fast. She threw me against the door hard enough to make my head spin. I swiped at her again and managed to scrape her ribs. She shrieked and threw me into the stone column across from the door. She held me by my throat and I managed to jam my stake into her heart. She fell and I pulled away, turning and banging on the door.

Just as Adrian opened the door, I felt it- another Strigoi. Whoever it was, I had no time to stop them from sinking their fangs into my neck.

I heard the Strigoi scream and felt it drop me, then Adrian scooped me up.

The last thing I heard was him saying, "You're going to be just fine," before I faded into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

When I woke up, Adrian was staring down at me, his eyes bright.

"Adrian?" I asked, then winced. "Water." I croaked.

He handed me a glass of water and watched as I swallowed a sip. "You had Rose and me terrified. She thought you had died. But, Talia, there's something you should know. You were almost dead, you should have been dead. I brought you back to life." Adrian looked nervous.

"And since he used his magic to bring you back, you're bound to him." My sister leaned against the doorframe.

"Rose." I smiled.

"Talia." Rose slid in next to me on the bed, her head on my shoulder. "I was so scared. I saw you in Adrian's arms after Dimitri took out that Strigoi, and I just knew you were dead. It was terrifying. You had me so worried. And then poor Adrian looked like he was going to die if he didn't know you were okay. Speaking of which, Adrian, go feed." Rose demanded.

That's when I noticed it- Adrian seemed paler and more worn out than usual. "Adrian, go eat. I'll be here. Rose will keep an eye on me." I smiled.

"I'll be back." Adrian dropped a kiss on my forehead before he left.

"Rose, I want to leave. Take Adrian, and go. I don't want to stay here." I rubbed my forehead, frustrated.

"Talia, I did the same thing a few years ago. I took Lissa away from St. Vladimir's Academy, and the price to pay is not worth the freedom." Rose squeezed my arm.

"Rose, we're adults. We can't be punished for leaving." I argued.

"You should go find the tattooist. You need to get a _zvezda_." Rose said.

"I didn't kill many Strigoi. I killed about five." I snapped.

"Go get a _zvezda. _And have Adrian bring you some coffee. You need it." Rose stood and stormed out.

I stood and carefully made my way outside, where a tattoo artist was finishing up on some dhampir.

"You next, girl?" He asked me.

"Yeah." I sat down on the chair.

"How many _molnijas_?" He asked.

"I need a _zvezda_." I answered.

"Got it." The tattooist inked the _zvezda_ into the skin of my neck and bandaged it up. I thanked him and found Adrian waiting when I walked into my room.

"Adrian." I fell into his arms, tears flowing down my cheeks.

"Hey, Talia. It's okay. I'm fine, you're fine. We're alive, Talia. You are going to be just fine." Adrian held me to him, stroking my hair and rocking me gently.

"Let's run away." I suggested.

"You mean that?" Adrian asked, pulling back to look me in the eye.

"I do. Let's pack and run away. Never look back. See the world." I smiled, letting my imagination run free.

"Okay." Adrian kissed my forehead. "I'll be back in thirty minutes. Be ready and we'll go."

I watched as Adrian left and then proceeded to pack. My suitcase was still full from when I first arrived at Court, which was only yesterday but seemed like ages ago. I was different now, I no longer had the foolish carefree life of a free dhampir. I now had a Moroi who I would be damned if I let get hurt. Adrian was my responsibility, and there was no way that I would let him be harmed.

Having finished packing what little I had taken out of my suitcase within five minutes of Adrian's departure, I decided to write a letter to my mother.

_ Mom-_

_Can I call you mom? I don't even know you, yet I find it so weird that Rose and I have you and Dad in common. I'm here at Court, about to leave with my Moroi. I like those words, "my Moroi." They make me sound like we're bound, which we are in a way. I never thought I'd be here, with my sister by my side and a Moroi under my protection. Things have changed since I was fifteen, and I don't know if they've gotten better or worse. Court was attacked and I was nearly killed- but don't worry, Adrian saved my life. Strange isn't it? We spend our childhood preparing to save them, and in the end, they save us. Anyway, Adrian will be back anytime now and we'll be gone. Goodbye, Mom. _

_ Love, Talia Catalina Mazur _

"Talia!" Adrian knocked on the door,

I closed the letter, sealing it, and jumped up. Adrian glanced at the letter in my hand, but said nothing as he took my suitcase.

I handed the letter to a dhampir who promised to deliver it to my mother, and held Adrian's free hand. "This is the beginning of our forever." I smiled.

"And I can't wait for forever with you." Adrian grinned, squeezing my hand.

"Adrian!" Lissa yelled.

"Goodbye, cousin. Don't let anyone know where we've gone yet, okay? I'll come see you when the time is right." Adrian kissed Lissa on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Adrian. Goodbye, Talia. I'll let Rose know you've gone so she doesn't worry." Lissa smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you, Lissa." I said as Adrian placed our bags in the back of a Ford Fiesta.

"You're welcome. Now go, you two." Lissa smiled.

We hopped in the car, me driving, and set out on the road, driving through the gates of Court.

Things went wrong immediately, of course. Adrian left his wallet in his coat pocket, which was in his room. So we turned around and I waited for a full ten minutes until he returned to the car. We sped away, this time actually making it out of Court and towards the nearest city.

"Can we listen to music?" Adrian asked, fidgeting in the passenger seat.

"Sure." I plugged in my phone and 'Dark Horse' by Katy Perry blared through the Fiesta.

I hummed as we drove and Adrian tapped his fingers against his leg. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"I don't know. New Orleans?" I suggested.

"Too far. I need to stay near Court." Adrian bit his finger.

"The whole point of this is to get away from Court! Adrian, let's go to Paris." I begged as the song changed to 'Heart by Heart' by Demi Lovato.

"I do have money… Let's stay here for a few days while we plan. Get a hotel room in Philadelphia, book a flight, then leave." Adrian reached out a hand and changed the song. "Interesting song."

The song playing was 'Almost Is Never Enough' by Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes.

"You like it, huh?" I asked, laughing.

"I think it's odd, considering things." Adrian answered.

We drove in silence as I tapped away at my phone with one hand and drove with the other. Of course, when I mentioned the hotels in Philadelphia, Adrian insisted we stay at the Ritz-Carlton. I booked us a room and shortly afterwards, we pulled into the hotel.

"Hello, I have a reservation." I said as Adrian set our bags down next to me at the front desk.

"Name?" The receptionist asked.

"Ivashkov. Room for two." I smiled at Adrian.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Adrian woke me. "The sun just went down. I'll book us a flight to Paris for tomorrow, okay, Talia?" Adrian grinned.

"Yeah. Bring me my phone, will you?" I asked, stretching as I sat up.

As soon as I checked my phone, I found five messages in my inbox. One from my father- understandable-, one from my sister, one from Dimitri, and two from my mother.

I checked my dad's message first, deciding he wouldn't be super judgmental. _'Talia Catalina, I respect your decisions. If you want to run off to Paris, use my name as protection. Tell any Moroi who will listen that you are Talia Mazur, daughter of Abe Mazur. Please, Tali, for me.'_

And then Rose's:_ 'Talia, I hope you have fun in Paris. Don't do anything that could get you killed or kidnapped by Strigoi. Love, Rose.'_

Dimitri's was probably the simplest of them all. _'I know you're capable of protecting Adrian. Good luck.'_

My mother's messages were probably the worst. _'I knew I had to worry about your sister running away but I didn't think I had to expect it from you.' _And: _'I received your letter. Know that there is only one ending to this- one of you will die trying to save the other.'_

I handed the phone to Adrian and watched as his smile fell away. "Your mom is a real bitch sometimes, you know, Talia?" Adrian shook his head.

"I know. Let's just put everything behind us. Let's start over. We'll fly to Paris tomorrow and figure something out." I grabbed Adrian's hands and squeezed.

He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "Maybe Paris isn't such a great idea. Why don't we go to New Orleans instead? Or Dallas? Texas is always a good idea." Adrian ran his hand through his hair.

"New Orleans sounds great. You know, that's where my dad wanted to raise me. Then he and Mom split and we went to Europe. I guess since we're running, I wanted to go where I felt safe. In America, I feel foreign. I'm not American, despite my passport and birth records saying I am. I feel safe in Europe because I was raised among the culture and languages. In America, there's only one main language accepted and the culture depends on the state. I went to New Orleans once and I loved it." I said, turning away from Adrian so he couldn't see me cry.

"I'm booking us a flight now." Adrian kissed my temple. In a moment, he was on the phone, my savior saving my life once more.

Within an hour, Adrian and I were on a plane, first class of course, to New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Hello, and thank you for flying United Airways. We will be landing in New Orleans soon. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for descent." A blond flight attendant announced.

"Thank you, Adrian. I know my dad will be upset that we stayed in the States, but at least we're close enough to Court that we can go back if you need us to." I squeezed his hand.

Adrian simply kissed my temple again, his hand tightening in mine. "You're welcome, Little Hathaway."

"I'm not a Hathaway, Adrian." I smirked, pulling away. "I'm a Mazur, and you know it."

"And you're hell-bent on telling me that." Arian whispered.

Once we landed, Adrian and I grabbed our bags and hailed a cab. "Where to, Miss?" The cabbie asked, a toothpick dangling from his lips.

"The W Hotel on Poydras Street." I said, the hotel name falling off my tongue without me having to think about it.

"Sure thing, Miss."

Adrian and I jumped in the cab and he took my hand. "You remember a hotel here?"

"I was in that hotel for three weeks. When I said I'd only been here once, I wasn't lying. My once just happened to last a little longer than a normal once trip." I smirked, running my free hand through Adrian's hair. "God, I love your hair."

"Thanks. It's a gift from God." Adrian laughed. "He's glad you like it. And I am too, you know. If you didn't like my hair, where would we be?"

"That's not funny, Adrian." I hit him gently. "My dad used to take me on the Haunted History tours. We had so much fun making fun of the humans. They would walk home in fear of ghosts and vampires after the tours, and we weren't helping any by adding bits of actual information to the tours."

"That's really funny. Did the locals find it amusing?" Adrian asked, twirling a strand of my hair in his hand.

"We're here, Miss." The cabbie announced.

Adrian helped me out and he paid for the cab. "Keep the change." Adrian smiled.

"Bless you, sir." The cabbie waved, driving off.

We entered the hotel and I immediately recognized one of the workers. "Samuel." I pulled Adrian to Sam's station behind the desk.

"Hello, Miss Mazur. Who's this?" Sam asked, his bright green eyes taking in Adrian and our entwined hands.

"This is Adrian Ivashkov." Leaning in, I added, "He's Moroi royalty."

"Lord Ivashkov." Sam nodded, his words a bit too loud. Heads spun in our direction and Adrian met their gazes with confidence. "Suite?"

"Yeah. One king." Adrian said, handing Sam his debit card.

"Charge it to my dad's card." I grabbed Adrian's card and handed it back to him. "My dad will take care of the hotel." I added to Sam.

"Sure thing, Miss Mazur. You'll be in room 304. Do you need any help with your bags or does Lord Ivashkov have it?" Sam nodded to Adrian holding our bags while staring at me.

"He's got it." I blushed, taking the keys from Sam. "I'll call you if I need anything."

Adrian and I entered our rom, setting our bags down. "Want to go eat?" I asked.

"What to do you have in mind?" Adrian asked me, tucking his hands into the back pockets of my jeans, his eyes on mine.

"I was thinking Saints & Sinners on Bourbon Street. Come on, we'll take a bike cab." I pulled Adrian outside, hailing down a bike.

"Where to, Miss?" The bike driver asked.

"627 Bourbon Street." I smiled, holding Adrian's hand. New Orleans was sounding better already.


End file.
